Mexican Street Corn Salad
My Mexican street corn salad features sweet corn tossed in a creamy dressing with just the right amount of spice. It's ready in 10 minutes, travels well, and pairs perfectly with anything off the grill.
I love using fresh corn in side dishes like corn fritters, mexican street corn, and cajun corn. If a salad is on Baking Beauty you know it is going to a good one. No bland wimpy lettuce here! My Mexican Street Corn Salad also known as esquites is creamy, cool, and full of flavor! Summer's easiest side is going to be the star of your picnics and BBQs. Leftovers? Spoon over nachos or fold into quesadillas.
Why This Recipe Works: A Sprinkle of Food Science
- Blanche and sauté combo: Boiling the corn gelatinizes the starch on the surface for plump kernels while the hot skillet adds a flavorful char.
- Secret Ingredient: Mexican Crema: It is higher in fat and milder in flavor. This prevents it from curding when mixed with the lime juice.
- Quick and Easy: Ready in around 20 minutes.
Ingredient Notes and Shopping Tips
- Corn: Use fresh corn for the best flavor. If corn is not in season you can also use 12 ounces of thawed frozen corn or 3 cups of drained canned corn. If using canned corn I suggest grabbing the fire roasted variety.
- Bell Pepper: I like using red because it tends to be a little sweeter and adds some color to the salad.
- Cilantro: Look for bunches that are deep green with no yellow. Dirt tends to cling to it so give it a swirl in a bowl of water. If you don't like cilantro you can use parsley instead.
- Green Onions: Look for ones with firm white bulbs and avoid any that feel overly wet.
- Jalapenos: Remove the ribs for a milder flavor.
- Mexican Crema: It's a bit thinner, higher in fat, and slightly sweeter than sour cream. If you can't find crema you could use equal parts sour cream and mayonnaise. You can also make crema at home.
- Cotija Cheese: This aged salty cheese is perfect for this dish. If you can't find it Queso fresco is similar in flavor but softer. Parmesan and feta are similar in texture but different in flavor.
- Tapatio Hot Sauce: Cholula or any vinegar based sauce like Tabasco would also be great here.
How To Make Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Cook Corn: You can cook the corn in a stock pot, the instant pot, or even on the grill.
- Cook Veggies: Saute onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno.
- Mix salad: Stir in remaining ingredients.
Tips: Steal My Culinary School Secrets
- Ice Bath: Shock boiled corn in ice water if not sauteing right away to lock in color.
- Use a Bundt Pan: Stand the cob in the center hole and slice. The kernels will be contained and you're less likely to cut yourself as well.
- Get Your Pan Screaming Hot: We want a nice char on the corn. Color=flavor
- Get the Most Juice From Your Lime: Roll it on the counter and/or pop it in the microwave for 10-2 seconds.
- Cool Slightly: Don't add your crema or cheese while everything is still hot or it may melt.
Frequently Asked Questions
I like the microwave method. Put corn with the husk in the microwave and cook for 8 minutes. Then cut off the bigger end and pick up the opposite end, it should fall right out.
Yes make up to one day in advance.
Yes, grill over medium high heat for 6-8 minutes turning often.
Serve With
Bacon and Cheese Broccoli Salad
You can also serve with other appetizers like chips and queso or southwestern egg rolls.
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📖 Recipe
Mexican Street Corn Salad
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Ingredients
- 4 Ears Sweet Corn Husked
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Red Bell Pepper Diced
- ½ Red Onion Diced
- ½ Cup Fresh Cilantro Roughly Chopped
- 6 Green Onions Sliced
- 2 Jalapenos Seeded & Diced
- ½ teaspoon Dried Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- Salt/Pepper to taste
- ½ Cup Mexican Crema
- ½ Cup Cotija Cheese Crumbled
- 2 Dashes Tapatio Sauce or to taste
Instructions
- In a large stock pot, bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook corn for 4-5 minutes. (You can also use a trivet in the Instant Pot and and cook on manual high pressure for 2 minutes. Quickly release pressure after cooking). Cut corn off cob.
- In a large skillet (or Instant Pot), heat olive oil over medium high heat. Cook bell pepper, jalapeno and onion until softened. Remove from heat.
- Stir in corn, lime juice, hot sauce, and salt/pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika.
- Fold in crema, cheese, green onions and cilantro.
Nutrition
Eating Mexican food is one of my bucket lost. I can’t wait to have one of it as I can see that this is really delicious and refreshing to eat.
I love eating Mexican street corn salad! I live in LA and get it from restaurants and vendors, but I would love to make this recipe for my next outdoor BBQ!
I love street corn - its got such a unique taste. Your salad sounds absolutely delicious! I'd probably indulge in a little too much of it, though, haha!
Amazing recipe, light, refreshing and delicious. It seems so packed with flavours. I am gonna try it tonight itself.
This sounds like a super tasty salad. It sounds like it would make a great health addition to a meal.
I'm always up for trying new recipes and this Mexican street corn salad sounds delish. I will have to try it soon!
So many of my fave ingredients in one dish! Sounds like the perfect summer salad. I love mexican corn (which I've had in Mexico!) as well as other corn salads, and this sounds right up my alley.
I’ve never tried Mexican Street Corn before, but the flavors look amazing and perfect for summer.
This is perfect for my 4th of July party. I like this different way to serve corn.
I love Mexican Street Corn! This salad looks delicious. I am excited to try it out.
If I use frozen corn kernels, about how many cups should I use?
Hi Sandra,
Great question! I'd use about 2 cups of corn kernels.
That is a great idea to use feta instead of cojeta because that is hard for me to find. I can't wait to try this corn salad. It looks so good! Pinning now to make soon.